It Ends Tonight
by Emeraudedeux
Summary: A multi chapter Drabble series of war, fury, love, friendship, and a not-so-happy ending.
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 **A/N** : Hello, and welcome to this emotional journey! As you've read in the description box, this will be written in Drabble form. Chapters will go from present time (War) to flashbacks. There will be dates at the start of each Drabble to keep you on track. This follows canon *loosely*, with many added deaths. I truly hope you enjoy. Please review- they fuel my creative juices xx

 _ **Triggers:**_ Language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part One

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **May 1998**_

The smell of burning flesh, the stench of death - it perforated his nostrils and made his head spin. He was vaguely aware that the piercing screams ringing through his mind were not his own. He shook, both from the adrenaline rushing through his veins and the fear that he wouldn't make it out of this alive. That _she_ wouldn't make it out of this alive.

 _War_.

Draco Malfoy stood from his crouch, stumbling out of from behind the crumbled remains of a stone pillar. The battle raged on, and his eyes swept across the ruins that were once the majestic _awe_ that was Hogwarts. He was pulled from his reverie as a flash of green barely missed the top of his head _._

Throwing himself to the side, he groaned as his body crashed to the ground, hidden once more. He couldn't hide forever, though if he knew she was safe, he would surely try.

 _Bloodshed_.

It was everywhere, and not just from his side of the fight. The fallout was massive, and bodies were strewn across the lawn, some completely unrecognizable.

Years from now, looking back, one might argue which side that was. The lines had been blurred for little more than a year now, though only few knew the truth. Draco had defected long before the battle, when one bushy haired witch broke through his life's mask of black and white, showing him a world full of color.

She was his reason for carrying on when his entire being seemed determined to shut down. It was _her_ he was on a mission to find.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves before leaping off the ground and sprinting full force into the masses. Wand held steady, he leveled it at a masked figure that appeared before him, shooting off a quick stunner and carrying on at lightning speed.

He had a feeling he'd find her near her friends and strained his eyes through the smoke and flying debris for any sight of red hair. He spotted someone ahead in the midst of a duel, and watched in horror as the body crumpled before he could reach them.

Fury distorted his features as green light shot from the very core of his magic, ripping from his wand with an audible crack and smashing into the chest of the Death Eater. He allowed his gaze a brief moment to fall to the floor, where Ginny Weasley's lifeless eyes had glossed over.

His heart clenched at the sight of the girl. He'd come to recognize her friends as his own in the past year, and the happiness he'd finally found was being ripped from his grasp, right before his very eyes. He stumbled slightly, eyes darkening as memory of the brilliant redhead's smile flashed across his mind.

With no time to waste, he begged his feet onward, determined to find Hermione Granger if it was the last thing he'd do.


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Two

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **September 1996**_

The bustle of the train station was in full swing with older students hurrying along with their carts in tow and parents sobbing as they sent their eleven year olds off for the very first time.

The atmosphere was tainted with an unspoken tension floating in the air. Though, naturally, they all knew why.

 _The Dark Lord had returned._

Hermione, of course, knew first hand that this was true. Flashes of the _Department of Mysteries_ flooded her mind, and she was temporarily lost in memory of the blinding pain she'd finally recovered from.

It was real, he was back, and you'd be a bloody fool to have thought otherwise.

"Let's go before all the compartments fill up."

Ronald Weasley's voice pulled her from her thoughts and back into the present. She steadied her breathing before grabbing the handle of her trolley and picking up the pace to catch up to Harry and Ron, who were already stepping onto the train.

No sooner had they settled into their seats, Harry's accusations began.

"He's taken the mark, guys. I just _know_ it!" He huffed angrily.

Hermione rolled her eyes. He was probably right, she'd eventually concede. They'd run into Malfoy just a month prior, and it wasn't easy to miss the way he'd cradled his left arm, as if it had been injured. As if it hurt.

She tried to convince Harry that this snooping was unnecessary, that whatever it was Malfoy was into heeded no use to them. He didn't need to seek out trouble at every turn.

Of course, no one listened to her. Not until it _really_ mattered, so she followed Ron off the train and told herself that Harry could save himself this time around.

Hermione Granger was a savior to her friends, and though she swore she'd let him muck this up on his own, she couldn't stop herself from hanging back and waiting for Harry's return.

As she sat by a carriage, toying with her trunk, she spotted the unmistakable platinum locks. Draco looked worn, tired, but his features twisted into a haughty sneer she'd come to know well over the last six years.

As their eyes locked, she couldn't stop the goosebumps that ran up her arms. No matter how many times this boy - _man_ \- had thrown insult her way, she couldn't deny the power, the passion that burned in his steel grey eyes.

This time, his cool demeanor rubbed her the wrong way, and she sprinted down the long trail, all the way back to the train and tried to stop the fury that ripped in her chest when she found Harry unconscious with a broken nose beneath his invisibility cloak.

How can a man that handsome be so very _ugly?_

xx

In the coming months, she'd watch, and she'd see - but it wasn't enough, because he needed _help_ , and that wasn't something she could give him.

That wasn't something he would, _or could_ , accept - not now. Not when he was under this pressure.

She sought out his head whenever she thought he wasn't looking, and on occasion, he'd let their eyes connect. He knew she was watching, her gaze burning holes in his soul, but _why_ was the recurring inquisition.

Her eyes, golden brown, soft and full of concern. _For me?_ _Surely not_ , he'd think more than once. Because he was _Draco Malfoy,_ and she, _Hermione Granger,_ mudblood, know-it-all, beautiful, terrifying.

Because she _saw!_ And Merlin, _he was scared_.

For he failed once, and the clock was ticking. He probably would again, and that meant consequence. That meant torture. That meant worse.

That meant _death_.

He was young, full of life, and it wasn't his time. So he vowed then and there to finish his mission, to survive. And if he could do this, he could surely do anything.

He could know those caramel eyes, and he could know _why_ they haunted him when he closed his own.


	3. Part 3

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Three

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **May 1998**_

Draco Malfoy saw red.

 _Red,_ like a river flowing freely, but the river was blood - _so much blood_ \- and the very grounds he'd once called a home away from home were bathed in the aftermath of slaughter.

Where simple stunners may have once been his spell of choice, he suddenly found lethal words falling from his lips without hesitation.

He moved forward, eyes scanning the fray and panicking more with each step he took because _where is she,_ and _this is taking too long!_

Draco felt fire, _burning_ and crouched to examine the damage but not for long because they were too close, the masked figure. He shot the first curse that popped in his mind and tried not to flinch as the force of the spell nearly sliced his opponent in two.

 _Sectumsempra_ , he'd shouted, channeling bloody Potter and holding back any pang of remorse as he remembered what that very spell felt like first hand, ripping through his flesh.

He swiped his face, further smearing the splatter - _war paint -_ and moved onward, leaving the man behind to die a quick, but not painless, death.

His leg throbbed painfully from the hex he hadn't dodged, but there was no time to waste. Even if a Healer popped out of thin air, he was _nobody_ and so many others needed help.

A loud explosion sounded to his left, and he cringed at the look of triumph plastered on Augustus Rockwood's face. Stone rained down in front of him, pinning what looked to be one of the Weasley twins underneath the rubble.

That was two, now. _Friends_. He knew that so many more were gone but he couldn't look, he couldn't know - not now, not when he had to hold it together for _her_. Everything was falling around him but he had to stand, to fight, to keep going because Malfoy's weren't quitters, and Draco would not stop.

Someone was sobbing, others were shouting, and the curses that lit up the May sky were never ending. Many of the masks had been abandoned, and it made knowing _who_ was fighting for _who_ much more difficult.

Lines had been blurred and faith was placed with different sides, leaving many people scrambling to choose. Some, it appeared, were fighting just to fight. War brought out the ugly, the truth, the terrifying reality that _this is it_ and who can you trust?

 _The true soldier fights not because he hates what's in front of him, but because he loves what's behind him._

And love her, he did. From the bottom of his heart, to the depths of his soul and nothing, no one, _no war_ would ever change the absolute bliss that is loving Hermione Granger.

He pushed on - for _her_ , for his entirety because _what is life without you?_ She helped him breathe,

she made him _see_ , she gave him the strength to be a wizard who would fight.

And he would kill, _is killing_ for her because _to get through a war, a man needs something bigger than himself to fight for._

* * *

" _The true soldier…"_ Quote by G.K. Chesterton

" _To get through a…"_ Quote by Rick Remender


	4. Part 4

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Four

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **December 1996**_

Winter arrived, and with it came the infamous _SlugClub_ Christmas party.

Hermione stood by the refreshment table, Elf made wine in hand and tried not to look too put out. Cormac McLaggen had been trying to put the moves on her all night with little success.

 _Thank Merlin Slughorn's okay with getting children drunk at school…_ She thought to herself and refilled her glass for the umpteenth time.

She briefly thought about leaving early, as clearly there wasn't anyone here of interest to her, but no sooner had the thought crossed her mind did the excitement start.

"Caught 'im sneakin through the halls, thinking 'e could find a way in!" Filch had marched right to the center of the room, and much to everyone's surprise, had Draco Malfoy gripped by the collar of his robes.

Her eyes found his, _like they_ _always did,_ and for a moment she swore something flashed across them. A plea? She hadn't the time to ponder it further as his features had slipped back into an impassive mask.

Without thinking, she marched forward, heels clacking on the stone floor and yanked Draco's arm. Unsuspecting of the witch, Filch lost his grip, releasing the boy - _man,_ she chided - as he stumbled, colliding into Hermione arms.

She righted herself, smoothing her dress and spoke clearly in Slughorn's direction, though her eyes never left Filch.

"He's with me. I invited him."

Professor Slughorn clapped his hands together, either delighted with the new addition or simply drunk from too much mead - probably _both._

Filch sneered in their direction before stalking off, no doubt disappointed that the prospect of punishing a student was lost.

She hadn't realized that Malfoy had barely moved an inch, and when she turned to address him, she came face to face with his chest.

Hermione inhaled, as if on her own accord and nearly preened as the scent of rain assaulted her senses. _Of course_ he smelled of rain, because Draco Malfoy was a storm and his eyes, grey and cloudy, were easy to get lost in.

Those eyes were studying her now, boring into her own, _and if he was a storm, then she was the calm that came before_. You couldn't have one without the other, and that's why she took his hand and pulled him from the room, away from the eyes that saw _too much_ , into an alcove just down the corridor.

He didn't resist, and she couldn't help but wonder why. When she looked at those eyes again she saw hate, fear, confusion, _lust._

It took only a second's hesitation before his lips were on her own, crashing, _clashing_ perfectly.

She reached up to grip his hair, pulling him closer because it wasn't enough, yet he _was._

Tomorrow morning she would blame the wine, curse the very elves who made it, and ache for more because it hurt _so good_ and he needed her. She could see it in his eyes.


	5. Part 5

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Five

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 ** _May 1998_**

Draco found himself at the edge of grounds, nearing the Forbidden Forest and cursed because he couldn't lie and say he hadn't thought how easy it would be to just slip into the woods and run like his life depended on it.

It _did_ \- but he couldn't, and he knew it wouldn't be easy because he would _never leave her._

The tree behind his head burned as a curse ripped away its bark with a force that would have seared straight through his flesh. His eyes locked onto Thoros Nott, and _fuck if he wasn't conflicted_ because this abomination wanted his head, and this abomination was _Theo's father._

"Where's your darling _mudblood_?" The elder man sneered, taunting Draco where he knew it would hurt the most.

He held his wand arm steady, not taking the bait because _she was okay_ \- he was certain - as if his body would alert him the moment she fell.

Another curse flew in his direction, and he quickly threw out a shield and watched it absorb the brunt of the spell. He didn't want to fight this man, his friend's _only_ living relative, and he cursed the very thought he may come face to face with his own father soon.

He'd scanned the crowd as he moved through the battle for any sign of the those long, platinum locks to no avail. He felt relief pass with every head that didn't belong to his father. He knew it could only be one, he or _Lucius._

But this wasn't his father, and _this wasn't his fight_ , and if he let his guard down for even a second, Thoros Nott would drop him cold.

 _This is war,_ and he was on the other side now.

As if on cue, Theodore appeared. Draco knew he wasn't the only one who felt conflicted, because just like himself, he _loved_ his father _-_ his father who cared more to kiss the floor beneath the Dark Lord's feet than to be there for a boy who just needed his dad.

And just like Draco, Theo refused to be a part of this tainted world any longer, not while the likes of _Voldemort_ and his precious Death Eaters were pulling the strings.

Draco nodded at the wizard he'd called mate for all these years and watched as he came at his father from behind, hitting him square in the back with an _Avada_ before the man could turn and meet his death head on.

He hit the ground - _thunk -_ and Draco had to physically refrain his friend as he cast _Crucio_ on the body _over_ and _over_ and _over_ again.

He'd never seen such burning fury, but Theo was a boy who was _hurting_ , and Draco wasn't sure if his tears were from anger or shear relief.

Thoros Nott twitched, muscles seizing from the anger behind his son's curse, but his stare was blank, _vacant,_ and Draco prayed that somewhere on those grounds his witch was fighting strong, caramel eyes still full of life.


	6. Part 6

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Six

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **February 1997**_

"She's good for you," he spoke.

Draco startled, turning to face the voice that belonged to Theodore Nott.

"When you came back this year after taking the…" he cut his eyes towards Draco's left forearm. "Well, you're just different," he finished lamely.

And he _was_ different. _I have to be._

"I see it, the pair of you. You think no one notices, but I do _."_

Draco stood and closed the door to their dorm, casting a brief _Muffliato_ because he was screaming to speak, emotions overflowing his mind, and he feared he might burst.

He told his friend of his worries, of his struggles, of them - _he and Hermione -_ and pondered when _I_ became _us._

They talked about their fathers, about his mark, and what it meant to wear it. He spoke of his fears and was relieved when the man didn't blame him.

 _We all do things we don't want to sometimes._ He remembered the words she whispered just two nights prior.

They had been in the Room of Requirement - the spot they'd been meeting for nearly two months now. As things heated up, layers were shed, and he'd held his breath in preparation of the fallout.

She eyed the mark, dark and harsh against the pale smoothness of his skin. Instead of crying, screaming, _running_ , she picked his left arm up, gently skimming her fingertips across the snake's form and did not shake when it seemed to move in return.

 _We all do things we don't want to sometimes._

"I'd rather die than live in a world where I have to be my father." Theo spat, and Draco shuddered because _he_ was _._

The Slytherin noticed, instantly cringing at his choice of words. But it didn't matter because they were _true_ , and Draco knew with every fiber of his being that he wouldn't survive in a world where the _Dark Lord_ reigned, because that meant she was gone, _or worse_.

It wouldn't matter that she was a muggle born, that her blood was deemed _dirty_ , because she was smart, strong willed, and _so damn beautiful_ that they'd surely not put her down without a fight.

He was back in that secret room, in bed with _her,_ and she felt so good that he could cry. Instead, he cried out - _Hermione._

No name would ever fall as sweetly from his lips, because she was it _\- his_ \- and the prospect of being without her made his chest tighten painfully _because without you I feel broken, like I'm half of a whole._

Love is like falling and falling is like this, but no one ever tells you how much it _hurts,_ and you never land quite where you were aiming for.

Theo cleared his throat, bringing him back from his daze.

"You've got it bad," the boy stated matter-of-fact.

Draco dropped his head to his hands, knowing Theodore was right, and cursed Hermione Granger for seeping into his _Every_. _Single_. _Pore_.


	7. Part 7

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Seven

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **May 1998**_

Draco stared at the paling face of Ron Weasley, life draining from his body as spurts of blood poured from the gaping gash in his throat.

He dropped to his knees, ripping a strip of fabric from his shirt and pressing it against the man's wound. It saturated completely almost instantly, and he pressed his hands into the blood in an attempt to stop the flow, gagging as it slipped over his fingers, warm as bath water.

Ron was wheezing, gurgling, _choking_ and there was nothing Draco could do to stop his impending demise. He fumbled with his wand, grasping it as best as he could in his soaked palm and cast every healing charm he could remember; the blood refused to slow.

Six years he'd spent in school with the wizard. Draco had been a bully, they'd fought, and he'd tried to make the boy miserable, _hurt_ for being lesser than the Malfoys.

Six years of school yard taunts, and in return, Ronald Weasley - _his saint_ \- sacrificed his own life for Draco.

 _The powerful slicing hex had nearly reached him when he whipped around, wand out, but he hadn't been quick enough. He watched with eyes wide as Ron leapt out of nowhere, shoving the Slytherin out of the way and taking the curse straight on._

 _Ron nearly landed on top of him, but he rolled away and shot the killing curse at the mangy figure that had tried to attack him._

 _He watched the body hit the ground before standing on shaky limbs to check out the damage on the fallen Gryffindor._

 _His face twisted in pain at the sight of blood - always so much blood - and wondered what the bloody fool was thinking._

His eyes clouded over, tears blurring his vision as he held the boy's face in his hands.

"Herm—" he choked, eyes fluttering as he strained to speak. The word was barely audible - the slice in his throat keeping him from speaking - but Draco knew what he was trying to convey.

 _Hermione._

Of course. Because Ronald Weasley adored the witch - _his_ witch - and he knew that the only reason he'd give his life was for _her_ sake.

It was up to Draco to protect her, and _Merlin_ was he failing now. He couldn't even locate her, and he had no idea what situation she currently found herself in.

"I understand," Draco whispered, the salt of his tears dissolving on his tongue.

The man's eyes seemed to twitch before rolling toward the back of his head. His shallow breathing ceased completely, and Draco knew the vision would haunt him.

He cried unashamedly as he pocketed Ron's wand and wiped the blood of yet another fallen wizard onto the grass.

 _Three._


	8. Part 8

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Eight

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **March 1997**_

 _Draco Malfoy was on fire._

Tremors burst from his muscles, and he was _burning_ , cooking alive from the inside out.

Fiendfyre roared through his veins, and he had no control over the screams clawing their way up his throat.

He was raw, spent and broken on the drawing room floor - his floor, his _home_. Voldemort had taken over his family's Manor as personal headquarters for his campaign.

He'd kept his eyes clenched shut for the duration of his _punishment,_ and he could feel the tears streaming down his face.

He knew everyone was there, watching, and he was ninety-five percent sure he'd pissed himself by now. He knew in any other circumstance he would be mortified, but _fuck it hurts,_ and no one took multiple rounds of _Crucio_ from the Dark Lord and stayed standing. The man - _thing_ \- practically _came_ from the sheer gratification of inflicting pain.

With much reluctance, he looked up at the face of _his Lord_ , and as he expected, his red eyes gleamed in satisfaction as an eery smile twisted his lips. He dropped his eyes to the floor once more, letting a wall of impenetrable steel cloud his mind lest his _master_ go prodding.

Draco had failed for the second time, his mission executed unsuccessfully yet again.

If he couldn't complete the task, _he_ would be executed. No one failed the Dark Lord's demands without consequence. You completed your orders - and completed them _timely_ \- and if you didn't, you ceased to exist.

An hour later, Professor Snape brought him back to the castle through his personal Floo, worse for wear.

Draco learned the hard way that evening that his _Lord_ expected more. He saw the way he took malicious glee at Draco's screams, body flailing at his feet, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer if he didn't get his arse in gear.

News had spread at lightning speed that a student had been injured. _Foul play_ some cried, and they were right.

Draco's second plan to take the life of Albus Dumbledore had gone awry, and that _bloody_ _fool_ Ron Weasley just had to be the victim.

He knew Hermione would catch on soon enough, and he couldn't shake the nauseous feeling at the pit of his gut that she would condemn him when she found out.

She was good, _pure_ , despite what other's said of her blood. How would he ever get her to see that this had to be done? He _couldn't_ disobey.

 _Don't you see? I have no choice._

It took exactly three days for the twitching to stop, but the memory of pure pain never receded from his thoughts, and he longed for the day the Dark Lord would fall.

His mind was made up, and though he battled himself internally as his body healed his wounds, he knew what he had to do.


	9. Part 9

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, eventual smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Nine

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **May 1998**_

Draco was still crouched by the cold body of his classmate when the man approached.

Thorfinn Rowle, he recognized, was large - around the same height as himself but much bulkier in form. Only a few years his senior, he didn't intimidate Draco nearly as much as some of the more veteran-ed Death Eaters.

This didn't stop Draco from pulling his wand, knowing a threat when he saw one. He stood quickly, widening his stance as if he could protect the fallen form behind him.

"Who's this, Malfoy? Your boyfriend?" he jeered, trying to get an eye of the dead wizard.

Draco used the momentary distraction to shoot a spell in Rowle's direction, cursing aloud as it missed by a hair.

 _Focus._

" _Stupefy!"_

" _Sectumsempra!"_

The spells collided, sparking brightly before sizzling away. Draco shuffled his feet with Rowle matching him step for step. He tried to glance around his surroundings but instead side stepped quickly as something lethal fired in his direction. He could smell the power, the _darkness_ behind the curse and thanked his stars it had been a miss.

"I could dance all night, Malfoy, but frankly - _I don't want to_ ," he sneered before sending an _Avada Kedavra_ straight for Draco's chest. He dropped his body to the ground, grunting at the impact and shot a curse of his own back instantly.

It left his wand in a jet of gleaming red and struck directly in Thorfinn's side, causing the wizard to keel over. The blood, this time, didn't churn his stomach. He wanted him to bleed, _needed_ him dead. That would be one less Death Eater out to get _her._

Draco made his way over to the man quickly, stepping his boot onto his arm and grounding down hard. Rowle cried out as his bones gave way to the pressure, and Draco reached down to pluck his wand from his hand before he could attempt to retaliate.

He held the smooth wood in front of the wizard's face, taunting him before snapping it easily between his fingers. He sneered before casting a killing curse of his own. Draco didn't bother looking back, at _either_ wizard he was leaving behind.

He was still so close to the woods, and he cringed at the various noises moving closer and closer to the battle grounds. He wasn't stupid - he knew what kind of creatures lurked in the dark. The werewolves, the acromantula, even the centaurs were joining the battle. Most of them, it seemed, hadn't fully chosen a side. If you were unfortunate enough to run into them, you'd more than likely face your demise if you didn't act quickly.

He shuddered as soon as the thought crossed his mind and froze on the spot when he recognized the girl pinned against a tree just a few feet ahead. He recognized the werewolf with grubby hands pawing her, too.

 _Greyback,_ he silently seethed.


	10. Part 10

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Ten

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **March 1997**_

"No."

Hermione's voice was strong, even as the tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. Draco averted his gaze, unable to face the caramel globes pleading with his heart.

"Draco, please," she cried, hand outstretched towards his as he stepped just out of reach.

He turned away, moving in front of the fireplace that had materialized in the Come-And-Go Room to keep the cold March chill at bay.

Staring into the flames, his heart ached, burned. He _needed_ her, all of her. But her safety was the most important thing and _damn it, there's no other way!_

"We can't do this. Not anymore," he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "If he finds out, he'll _kill you."_

"I don't care!" she screamed, and the sound stomped his already broken heart.

"I've kissed your scars, _I know your crime."_ Draco heard her move behind him, and he was suspended, mind soaring. He knew his resolve was crumbling under the words, yet he stepped away again.

"You don't," he whispered, tears spilling down pale cheeks. "Just trust me, Hermione," he pleaded desperately.

"I need you too badly, I'm in _too deep_." Her voice was low, and there wasn't a single accusation there. "I _can't_ leave. You won't push me away."

He was crashing, as he knew would, because he was a fool - _only for you -_ and it was no use, he'd lost control of the flight and he caved, _craved_ to have her. _All of her_

 **xxx**

Her mouth was on his in an instant, and she could taste the tears he pretended didn't fall.

If she hadn't believed in Divination before, she certainly did now because Draco was a Dragon, _her dragon_ , written in the stars.

She thanked those stars that they were entwined. The fire was warm against the expanse of her bared flesh, his fingerprints covering her skin and leaving goosebumps in their wake.

"You're sure?" he whispered in the quiet of the room, and she nodded - _please_ \- because she needed him, too.

She writhed, whimpered, _screamed_ his name over and over again, engraving her voice into the depths of his mind.

Where she was once starving, she was now quenched. _I thirst for you_ , she thought, _I taste the light that is you._ And she'd drink from his soul more than once, in that secret room. Their refugee.

They stayed that night, tangled limbs and desperate hearts. Amber eyes against steel, fluttering lids that fought to stay awake.

 _Watching you watching me, a fine way to fall asleep._

"I can't take my eyes off of you," she whispered into the dark some time later.

Draco's breathing was even, but she knew he was present, awake. "If we fall," he began.

"When," she amended with hopeless finality.

" _When_ we fall…" He cupped her cheek, running the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. "We fall together."


	11. Part 11

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Eleven

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **May 1998**_

Draco dodged to the left, quickly tucking into the edge of the Forbidden Forest and began making his way forward as quietly as he could. His eyes were locked straight ahead, where Fenrir Greyback had pinned one of his classmates against the rough bark of a tree.

He was hurting her, that much was clear from the sobs falling from her lips and the blood trailing down her arms where the man's nails had dug into her skin. Draco wished she would slow her cries, knowing full well that the werewolf fed off fear. If he didn't hurry up and get to her, he'd feed off her blood and flesh, too.

It wouldn't be the first time he witnessed the act. Voldemort had a sick habit of giving women to Fenrir like they were dog bones. Countless Muggles, some barely of age, had lost their lives to the merciless creature.

He had a taste for blood, _literally_.

Draco came to a halt when their eyes locked, Lavender's large as saucers. They were pleading, screaming for him despite her mouth not moving, and he prayed she wouldn't call out, wouldn't blow his cover.

"HEY!"

The shout came from his right, just outside the tree line. Three figures moved into sight, and Draco was torn between running, fighting and saving the girl he never actually liked.

"Oi! You!"

 _Make a move._

"It's Malfoy," one gruffed.

 _Shit._

"The Dark Lord wants him dead! Grab him!"

 _Run!_

Draco shot a quick series of stunners in their general direction before sprinting forward. She was screaming again, tears spilling from her eyes, and the last thing Draco would see of Hermione's roommate was the smooth flesh of her throat tearing away in one large, jagged chunk.

He stumbled, dry heaving as Greyback turned over his shoulder to grin at Draco, blood dripping from his chin like liquid rubies.

"Tastes good, boy. I'm off to try a bit of dirty blood next," he taunted. "I've got a good nose for that one, you know. My Lord should have left her for _me_ at the Manor!" He whiffed the air dramatically, practically salivating at the thought.

"Or maybe that delicious Lovegood, eh?" The werewolf didn't wait for a response to his teasing, moving back to the limp, now lifeless form in his arms.

Spells were bouncing off the trees behind him, and Draco dodged once more to the right, rolling out of the forest of _horrible things he could never unsee_ and into the torn up battle field.

Not for the first time that terrible night, Draco thought grimly, there was a very great chance they weren't going to see the light of tomorrow.

 _None of them._


	12. Part 12

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Twelve

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **March 1997**_

"Dra- _co_!" she hissed quietly, the word hitching as he found the spot just below her ear. "Someone's going to catch us."

Hermione moaned softly as his lips made their way across her neck, kissing the tender skin on her throat and trailing along her jaw to meet her own.

The pair had found themselves tangled together after Draco walked her back to the Tower. It was late enough that no other students should be milling about, and he clearly didn't want to miss an opportunity to give a proper goodnight.

"No one," he spoke between pecks, "is going to catch us."

" _Mmm_ ," she started, "you clearly don't know this lot. _Ahhh_!" His breath skated figure eights on her collarbone as he pressed her back roughly into the stone wall, the contrasting sensations making her shiver. "Gryffindors - forever sneaking about."

Draco's hands found their way under the edge of her skirt, flipping it up over her bum to cup the ample flesh. She arched at his touch, silently begging for more even as she craned her neck to listen for any intruders.

As if on cue, giggles rang through the quiet hall. Draco squeezed her arse a little tighter, dropping his forehead against hers and huffing out a frustrated breath. The air fanned across her cheeks, and she inhaled the cool scent that was _him_.

The sounds grew as the figures neared, making Hermione curse quietly as she recognized the grating voice of Lavender Brown. _Lav Lav_ , she snorted, recalling the silly nickname she'd dubbed herself in her brief liaison with Ron. She tensed as their words became clear just outside their hiding place.

"I'm telling you, she's up to something," the girl whined. "Always disappearing from the dorm, sneaking around. What do you want to bet she's not there now?"

"It's _Hermione_. When has she not been up to something? Her with Harry and Ron… nothing more than usual, at least."

Draco looked down at her, lifting a finely arched brow, and even in the dark Hermione could read his gaze. It was questioning, mocking, and _highly_ amused. She reached out to pinch his skin, grinning to herself as he muffled a yelp into her neck.

" _Uh uh_. No. This time is different. _She's_ different. Always humming, happy. I don't know, Parvati. She _glows!_ It's strange, don't you think? Gods, that girl is weird." Their voices grew dim as they entered the common room, the large portrait hole clicking shut.

"I hate that witch," Hermione mumbled. _Despise_ , _loathe, utterly detest,_ she thought bitterly.

Draco stepped back to study her face before pulling her flush against his chest and capturing her lips with his. The kiss was fierce, _all_ _consuming_ , and she let her mind drift until it was filled to the brim with nothing but him.

"You glow, do you?" he spoke with a twitch of humor. "My perfect, brilliant, _glowing_ witch."

His gaze was intense - _fire_ , and his words lit her ablaze.

"Your enemy, mine," he shrugged. "She's nothing. But you? You are _everything_."

 _You…mine._


	13. Part 13

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Thirteen

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **May 1998**_

Hermione Granger pushed through a mass of students running in all directions. As "prepared" as they'd been for the inevitable - _to fight -_ it was a complete madhouse throughout the halls. She'd done her part…

 _Get the Diadem - check._

 _Destroy the Diadem - check._

… and now she was lost. Directionally, _emotionally_ , completely lost. The plan had been to get rid of the horcrux and meet Draco near the entrance of the Great Hall. She'd scanned the throng of bodies, searching with increasing panic as the tell tale sign of platinum hair was missing.

Hermione had no time to wait and dawdle as spells bounced off the walls, leaving burning holes in their wake. The air crackled with the raw energy of powerful magic, and she wasn't fool enough to think things were going well for their side.

She eyed her fellow classmates - the ones who stayed to fight - and felt the candle of hope slowly fading. They _weren't_ prepared, much as they tried. The Dark were using _just that_ , deadly incantations falling from their lips, some without words at all.

They were blind to their opponent. It was no matter that these were children, some the very age of their own heirs. They were here to kill, here to _win._

 _Where is he?_ She thought, eyes wide in panic.

A masked figure moved into her sight, wand pointed straight at her as a purple stream of light ripped from its tip. She brandished her own in a quick pattern, throwing out a shield that shook under the pressure. She fired a curse back, shaking slightly at the feel of the dark magic tingling across her skin.

Her spell skimmed the arm of the person, ripping the dark fabric covering his flesh. The body dropped dead before they could shoot back, and Hermione panted heavily as she nodded a _thank you_ in Kingsley Shacklebolt's direction.

She sprinted down the hall as quickly as she could, ducking into a familiar alcove hidden behind a long tapestry and dropping to the floor. She tried to calm her thoughts as she summoned a happy memory to the forefront of her mind.

" _Say the three words I know you're thinking…" she whispered almost desperately into the dark._

 _Draco, who's head was resting on the bare skin of her hip, lifted his eyes to meet her own. He sat up, pulling her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her small frame._

" _Oh, Hermione…" He nuzzled her neck, pressing his lips to the velvety flesh._

 _She felt the wetness hit her skin before she heard his cries muffled against her shoulder. Twisting her body in his tight embrace, she grabbed his face in her hands, cradling his cheeks as tears slipped underneath pale lashes._

" _I didn't mean to—"_

" _I love you, stupid stupid witch. You, who shouldn't give me the time of day. You, who has turned my world upside down. You, who has made me real, made me see, made me love."_

 _He kissed her, tasted her, nipped her lips and then smoothed the pain, imbedding the truths with the tip of his tongue._

" _Always you."_

Hermione gasped, tears spilling from clenched eyelids and took great, heaving breaths as she watched her otter float away, a wisp disappearing into the madness to bring back her wizard.


	14. Part 14

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 **Beta Thanks:**

rooOJoy

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, smut, major character death, torture, war

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Fourteen

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

 _ **April 1997**_

"You _need_ to tell me," she demanded, hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. He could see the concern behind the look, worry evident in her eyes.

She pulled him aside after dinner, having had enough of his secrets. She knew he was up to something, aware he had some sort of assignment. He'd done well to keep it under wraps thus far, but alas…

 _Paradise is not forever._

He knew he couldn't dodge her suspicions. The girl was relentless. She wasn't going anywhere, _not that I'd let her at this point,_ and there was no debate whether he had a choice in the matter.

 _She'll find out eventually,_ he conceded. So he took her hand, thinking he very well may regret this decision for the rest of his miserable life and led her to the seventh floor, their floor, but not their room.

No, this time as he paced _one, two, three_ and entered the large door that materialized from nowhere, he watched nervously as she gasped at the sight of what was held inside.

Everything, _anything_ imaginable was packed into that secret room. Draco leaned against the heavy door, allowing the girl a moment to take in all of the stuff. He'd been the same way the first time he'd discovered this parallel to the Room of Requirement, and he knew her inquiring mind was swimming with questions.

"Draco…" she trailed off, voice so quiet it was barely a whisper. She turned to face him, mouth puckered in an O and brows wrinkled. "What _is_ this?" She swung her arms out, presenting the items in question.

He closed his eyes for a moment, caught between the secret he'd been burying and the impending shock when she realizes just what he has to do. He pushed himself away from the spot he'd been resting, striding forward to take her hand and lead her towards the towering cabinet that very well may be the death of him.

Draco knocked his palm against the heavy wood, thumping it twice as he spoke. "This…" he began, "is a vanishing cabinet."

Hermione was staring at him with her lips pinched in a thin line, eyes darting back and forth between him and the cabinet. "I know what this, Draco… I," she breathed out, voice shaking slightly. "I've seen you - _in Borgin and Burke's_ \- over the summer." She squeezed her eyes shut, and Draco knew she was struggling as much as he was.

"What are you doing with this?" Her eyes were watching him with timid trepidation, begging him to give her an answer she would like.

He rubbed his hand across the smooth wood, cursing the cabinet, himself, the monster making him do this. "I'm fixing it, Hermione."

"Fixing it for _what_?"

"To let them in," he spoke with sorrow, a quiet whisper swallowed in the endless room.

She didn't ask who they were - _she didn't need to_. Hermione threw her arms around him and cried. They stood like that, hidden with the things that maybe shouldn't be found, for what felt like hours. She broke the silence then, her tears long dried and a steady calm back in place.

" _Then I'll help_."


	15. Part 15

**Disclaimer:** All canon characters, plots and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this story.

 _ **Triggers:**_ language, smut, major character death, torture, war

 **A/N:** Thank you to those who held out for an update! I've been on hiatus with my WIPs as I work on a joint story on another account, EmeraldBlackChaos. I promise I haven't abandoned these completely!

* * *

 **It Ends Tonight**

Part Fifteen

" _... When darkness turns to light_

 _it ends tonight …"_

* * *

As Draco crunched his once polished boots into the sharp remains of a large stone figure, he thought it almost comical that the very notion of ruining his expensive shoes would once have thrown him into a state of distress.

 _Distress,_ he thought miserably, _is this._

He moved further along the grass, meeting broken steps that would lead him to the castle entrance. Stepping carefully as not to fall through or twist an ankle, he moved as swiftly as possible, wand clenched between teeth as he groped his way up the ruins.

Sounds grew greater as he neared the top, and a bright light suddenly filled his vision. He gasped, knowing instantly the creature circling his head.

" _I'm here… I'm here, Draco. Come to me, please."_ The sound of Hermione's voice rang through his ears even as the otter glided away, leaving not so much as a wisp behind. Her voice, he noted, was quiet, but frantic.

 _Here_ , he knew, was where they'd promised to find one another.

Hermione was hiding, and it was Draco's duty to get to her. There were a mere few corridors separating the pair, but he knew it wouldn't be as simple as sprinting there. As he slipped through the empty space that once held massive doors closing Hogwarts off to the world, another throng of witches and wizards raged before him. The battle must have moved it's way towards the castle, as evident by the eerie quiet that fell across the grounds at his back. A glance over his shoulder showed there were, in fact, still people out there, but most of them were no longer among the living.

Draco held his breath as he threw himself full force into duel, shouting out spells without fully examining who he was aiming for. His eyes were drawn ahead, scanning the area quickly as he moved his feet with urgency, edging forward and closer to the alcove briefly sheltering his witch.

He'd nearly made it around the corner, only feet from where she hid, when he stepped not on stone, but a body. Sprawling forward suddenly, Draco fell hard, skidding his palms across the floor and feeling both knees pop with the force of his landing. He refused to look down at the body now half beneath him, not wanting to add another acquaintance to his growing list of loss.

Fire burned through his skin as he began to shuffle forward, a spell colliding directly with his skin just shy of the nape of his neck. He cried out while the pain seemed to spread, a sharp burn engulfing his right shoulder completely. Rolling over, he threw his arm out, spitting an incantation through clenched teeth. Though his arm shook, his spell succeeded, and Draco wasted no time watching the body drop.

Forcing himself to stand, he took the last few steps, ripping the heavy tapestry to the side and diving into the darkness. He felt her before he saw her, her presence instantly overwhelming every ounce of his being.

"Hermione," he cried, letting his guard down completely for the first time in…

 _Well, he couldn't quite remember._


End file.
